+ Neighbours | Act Six

View from living room, contemplating my move

Got into the house and cleaned-up, but my mind was restless.

I had to follow-up on this matter and that was an apportuned time to confront her.

I had to settle it once and for all since she was caught red-handed and witnessed by all 3 of us.

With the front door opened and I kept my post, waiting to actually see our culprit throwing her trash into the chute.

ACT SIX

10 minutes passed, and she still did not come out.

I was furious and had to confront her once and for all. Prayed silently in my heart that things will go diplomatically and that I could control my anger.

Went straight to her home, but before I could knock on the door, she opened it and was surprised that I was at her front door. I was startled too.

I told her that the rubbish was still there waiting for her to throw it into the chute, and told her that, that must not continue as it was unhygienic and wrong.

She replied confidently "Oh, I normally don't do like that. Maybe you got the wrong person."

I felt my temper raging inside, "normally...?"

I told her firmly that hers was the only household with a baby on the 4th floor, and the trash she placed earlier had Drypers diapers as with trash on other days too.

Before she could open her mouth, I told her also undisputedly her name on pieces of papers we found few days before with such trash too.

She paused to search for something to say and then replied "Oh, it isn't me. It must have been my sister-in-law who did that."

OH MY GOD! What kind of being is she? Which planet did she come from?

We witnessed her placing the rubbish exactly as we found the rest of the rubbish thrown likewise, untied and placed there without a thought for anyone else. We found her notes and her name on the pieces of paper inside the opened trash bags.

And she had the audacity to deny that, and place the blame on her sister-in-law too? WOW!

At worst, maybe both of them were guilty.

I told her to spare a thought for her fellow neighbours who had to endure, the filth of the oozing fluids out from the trash bag, the scattered pieces of trash in front of our door and around the lift landing when the wind blew, and the terrible smell it generated from the baby's soiled diapers, the rotten fish guts and decomposing vegetables.

We and our next-door neighbour, as well as the other neighbours too, when when had to wait for the lift.

I told her firmly but as politely as possible to throw the rubbish straight into the chute like all well-minded Singaporean would. All neighbours do not tolerate irresponsible dumping.

Unable to give any excuse, she finally admitted and apologized but "on behalf of her sister-in-law."

I walked back to my home and she trailed behind me to throw her second bag of rubbish.

I nodded with the "I believe that when I see it" gesture, and said my last words to her that the rest of the neighbours on the 4th floor would be glad that it would end when all play their part to keep our floor clean.

I went in and paused at the door when I locked the gate, indirectly telling her that I wish to see she actually doing her part to keep clean too.

She did when I heard the chute opened and the rubbish dropped in.

Must have been a revelation to her to finally for the first time, she actually stepped on the foot paddle to latch open the chute and threw her trash down the chute.

I have been keeping virgil since, to see if the matter repeated again. She may be right. Her sister-in-law may be another culprit. You never can tell. We will see.

Please do not let there be an ACT SEVEN.